Watch-plate



(ModeL O. O. HINKLEY;

WATGH PLATE.

Patented N0v. 8, 1881.

wgilasmzm /W N. PETERS,

- UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

OHARLES O. HINKLEY, OF ROCKFORD, ILLINOIS.

WATCH-PLATE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 249,356, dated November 8, 1881.

Application filed December 23,1880. (llImleL) I To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, OHARLEs G. HiNKLEY, a citizen of the'United States, residing in Rockford, in the county of Winnebago and State of Illinois, have invented new and useful Improvements in Watches, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in watches; and it consists in providingthe cockbearing of the lever-balance with bankingscrews accessible from its outer face, in supporting the balance-wheel in cock-bearings made removable, and in a two-part hair-sprin g stud. These and other improvements, all of which will be hereinafter more fully described, constitute the subject-matter of this specification.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is an isometrical representation of thepiliar-plate of a watch fitted to receive my improvements. Fig. 2 is also an isometrical representation of the pillar-plate ofa watch with my improvements mounted in position thereon. Fig. 3 is an isometrieal under-face representation of the under portion of the balance-wheel cock-bearin g. Fig. 4 is an isonietrical upper-face representation of the under portion of the balance-wheel cock-bearing. Fig. 5 is an isometrioal underface representation of the upper portion of the balance-wheel cock-bearin g. metrical under-face representation of the pallet-balance and its cock-bearing. Fig. 7 is an isometricalouter-i ace representation of the pallet-balance c0ck-bearing. Fig. Sis an isometrical representation of one of the bankingserews. Fig. 9 is a vertical section cut on a line passing through the center, on which the balance-wheel and pallet-balance are mounted to oscillate. Fig. 10 is a vertical central section of the hair-spring stud cut lengthwise of the hair-sprin In the figures, A represents the pillar-plate of a watch, which is of the usual outline form, circular in plan, having its disk-face on the gear-train side recessed, as at a, to receive the pallet-balance, and the center of this recess is fitted with a bearing, b, to receive the pivotjournal of the pallet-balance.

At 0 is represented the pallet-balance mounted on the forked lever cl, and provided with a pivot-shaft, 6, having its ends fitted with piv- Fig. 6 isan isoot-journals, all of which are substantially the same as like parts commonly employed in the manufacture of watches.

At B is represented the coclvbearing of the pallet-balance, the position of which on the pillar-plate is fixed by means of steady-pins h projecting from its under face, and arranged to enter the holes h in the pillar-plate. This cock-bearing is removably fixed in position to the pillar-plate by means of a holding-screw, i, which is passed through the cock-bearing and its screw-threaded portion entering the screw-threaded hole 2" in the pillar-plate. This cock-bearing and the pillar-plate together furnish the hearings to receive the pivot-journals i of the pallet-balance, which is made removable independent of the gear-train. This palletbalanee coclebearing is provided with eccentrio banking-screws k, (represented enlarged at Fig. 8,) which are placed in the overhanging portion of the cock-bearing, one on each side of the forked lever of the pallet-balance, with their eccentric stud portions depending from the lower side of the overhanging or cook arm of the bearing, one on each side of the forked lever, with their slotted screw-heads accessible from the outside, by means of which the screws may he turned to change the position of the eccentric studs to regulate and limit the throw of the pallet,- the movement of which is arrested by means of the forked lever comic gin contact with the depending eccentric studs of a the bankin g-screws.

At O is represented the balancewheel, which is of the usual form of such parts commonly used in the manufacture of watches, having its journals 1 supported in a two-part cock-bearing consisting of an outer portion, D, and an under portion, E, the relative positions of which are fixed by means of steady-pinsm, depending from the inner face of the outer portion, and adapted to enter the holes m in the inner face of the under portion. The under portion, E, of this cock-bearing is provided at its journal-bearingend, on its under side, with a depending boss, a, concentric with its jourrial-bearing, which boss is adapted to enter an elongated opening, a, in the pillar-plate. This portion of the coclcbearing is also provided adapted to enter an elongated or slot-like opening, 0, formed in the pillar-plate. These parts serve to fix the cock-bearing supporting the balance-wheel in position on the pillar-plate, in which position the two portions thereof are removably fixed to the pillar-plate and to each other by means of a holding-screw and support the balance-wheel to oscillate freely in its bearings in position to engage the pallet-lever in the usual manner to control its vibrations. This balance-wheel is provided with a hairspring,p, in the usual manner, having itsinner end suitably connected to the shaft of the balance-wheel, or to a collar or hub thereon. The outer portion, D, of the balance-wheel cockbearing is provided with a vertical slot, 8, entering from its edge and extending crosswise thereof, and of suitable dimensions to receive a hair-spring stud made adjustable therein.

At 8 is represented the main portion of my improved hair-spring stud, having its outer portion fitted to enter the slots in the cockbearing, with a shoulder resting against its under side, and its axial center is fitted with a screw-threaded hole to receive the threaded portion of a clamping-screw, s, the head of which overlaps the edge portions of the slot, and operates to hold the stud in position there in, by means of its screw-clamping action, in such a manner as to be readily adjusted. The depending portion of the stud is provided with a transverse or radial hole or opening to receive the outer end portion of the hair-spring p, which is fixed in position in the stud by key-pin t, in the usual manner. The outer portion, 1), of this balance-wheel cock-bearing is fitted with a boss, t, concentric with thejourrial-bearing of the balance-wheel, and the under edge portion of this boss is slightly beveled under to receive the spring-ring clamp 15 of the index-finger, to hold it in position by frictional contact. From the side of this spring clamping-ring extends an index-finger, u, the. free end of which extends to the graduated index a, formed on the outer face of the cockbearing.

At a is represented an arm extending from the side of the spring clamping-ring, and from the under side of its free end depend pins to embrace the outer coil of the hairsprin These parts constitute the regulator, and are substantially the same as like parts heretofore in common use for the same purpose in the same manner.

From the foregoing it will be seen that by means of my improved two-part cock-bearing the balance-wheel, with the hair-spring, hairspring stud, and regulator, are made removable independent of the other parts of the watch, and that these parts are suitably supported in their relative position, so as to be properly adjusted relatively with each other before they are placed in the watch, and by means of my improved two-part hair-spring stud, in its connection with the slotted cock-bearing, is made adjustable in perhaps every required direction, by which means it may be adjusted to best utilize the spring action of the hair-spring to obtain the best results therefrom.

I claim as my invention- 1. The combination, with the pallet-balance, of eccentric banking-screws located on opposite sides of the pallet-lever, and adapted to form adjustable stops for the pallet-lever, substantially as set forth.

2. A two-part balance-supporting cock-bearing operating to support the balance-wheel in position, and made removable, substantially as and for the purpose hereinbefore set forth.

3. The combination, with the balance-wheel cock-bearing, constructed with an elongated open slot, of the herein-described two-part hair-spring stud, located in said open slot, and rendered adjustable therein by the fasteningscrew 8 and keyt, for retaining the hair-spring in place, substantially as set forth.

4. The combination, with a removable twopart cock-bearing, of a balance-wheel mounted to oscillate therein on pivotal supports, and made removable independcntot' the gear-train, substantially as hereinbefore set torth.

5. The combination, with a removable twopart cock-bearing and a balancewheel mounted to oscillate therein on pivotal bearings, of a hair-spring and the herein-described twopart adjustable hair-spring stud, substantially as and for the purpose hereinbefore set forth.

6. The combination, with a pallet-balance made independently removable, ot' a balance- Wheel supported to oscillate on pivotal centers in a two-part cock-bearing made independently removable, substantially as and for the purpose hereinbefore set forth.

CHARLES O. HINKLEY.

Witnesses:

A. O. BEHEL', J AOOB BEHEL. 

